I would like to start my column this month by saying Thank You to some of the brethren of Plano Lodge publicly. First I would like to say Thank You to Brother Charles McKay. Brother McKay brought me a situation regarding a Masonic widow here in Plano who was having some financial difficulties. Not only did Brother McKay bring this issue to me he worked with me to uphold our obligation by arranging more monetary help than Plano Lodge could provide on its own and worked with me to see that this issue was resolved in a very positive way. Second I would like to say Thank You to Brother Michael Young, Esq. who has provided the lodge with a contract between it and the Fillmore Pub about to open around the corner. Finally, I would like to say Thank You to Brothers Clay Smith and Jim McBeth. These brothers have taken on the duty of compiling a list of and contacting the Masonic Widows of Plano Lodge. Through their efforts we expect to have about 15 of our brotherâ€™s widows join us at the Family Night Dinner in October. Next time you see these brothers please give them a pat on the back for good work they are doing on behalf of Plano Lodge.

If you were at the Lodge meeting on September 20th you know about some of the plans for the enhanced Mentor Program at Plano Lodge. I thought since there were not that many of the brothers present at that meeting I would publish some guidelines for the duties of a mentor. The Mentor has essentially three goals in working with the new candidate:

provide a personal link between the candidate and the lodge membership,

provide an individual to whom the candidate can turn to for information, and

provide encouragement for the candidate to seek Masonic knowledge through education.

Some suggested â€œdutiesâ€ of a Mentor are:

Ask the candidate if there are any special guests he might be expecting and, if so encourage him to inform them of the degree and to invite them to attend,

On the night of the initiation, greet the candidate and explain to him how he will be dealt with and reassure any anxiety he might have about the ritual,

Following the degree, reserve a seat next to the mentor for the candidate to take upon being welcomed into the lodge by the Worshipful Master,

Keep in regular contact with the new member and personally invite him to attend appropriate meetings and gatherings of the lodge,

Take responsibility for the new brother and insure every effort is taken to keep the new brother engaged in progressing through the Masonic degrees,

For one year following his receipt of the Master Mason degree, keep in regular contact with the new brother and encourage him to participate in lodge activities, and

Extend a special invitation to the wife and family of the new brother to attend open lodge functions. Take time to introduce them to other wives and families for their first several visits.

This is an opportunity to create in a new brother a feeling of pride in the Fraternity and aid him in his quest for the genius of Freemasonry. Through this endeavor I believe we can create even more confident and educated Masons in Plano Lodge.